THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 27, 1995 TAG: 9507250113
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
Maury High School graduate Joe Smith, this year's No. 1 NBA draft pick, never stood taller than he did on Friday when he returned to his alma mater to present a $1,000 scholarship check to Clarence Griffin, a fellow Maury graduate.
Griffin was one of two visually impaired June graduates from Maury selected to receive the award from film producer Spike Lee's Hoop Dreamers program. The other student, Jennifer Tatomir, is in Michigan and will receive her scholarship when she returns.
The awards, also presented to 25 other students nationwide, are going to individuals who possess the qualities portrayed in the movie ``Hoop Dreams'' and are presented in recognition of their overcoming physical challenges. Despite congenital glaucoma that resulted in a gradual loss of their sight, Griffin graduated with honors and Tatomir graduated with high honors.
Griffin admitted that, when notified of the impending award a couple of weeks ago, he was surprised. He plans to attend Old Dominion University and study music, already being an accomplished jazz keyboard musician. Born in Atlantic City, N.J., Griffin moved to Norfolk at a very young age, and, after attending the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind in Hampton, attended Maury for 11th and 12th grade, taking regular ``mainstream'' classes. He had some advice for others facing physical challenges or other obstacles as he has.
``Tell 'em `keep going,' '' he said. ``Don't give up on your dreams. If you have those dreams, they weren't put in your head for nothing.''
Maury's former principal, James B. ``Jake'' Slaughter, recalled how the event had come to pass.
``Spike Lee's organization called me this summer,'' Slaughter remembered, ``just after school was out. They wanted to know if we had a student who had done something special to whom they could award a scholarship. I called back and said we had two and they said, `Fine, we'll give two of them.' ''
The catalyst was Joe Smith, who graduated from Maury in 1993 and was drafted recently by the Golden State Warriors. The Hoop Dreamers program uses athletes who go back into their former schools to present the awards. Two representatives of the Hoop Dreamers, Michael Hurwitz and Noah Krugel, from Washington, were also present. They presented T-shirts to Smith and Griffin.
Smith also received a T-shirt from Griffin and his vision teacher for the two years he was at Maury, Gail Henrich, with a message on it written in Braille.
``I'm just real excited for him and Jennifer for being recognized for the accomplishments they've both made,'' Henrich said.
Griffin's mother, Lydia, who works at Sentara Norfolk General, attended the ceremony and said that her son had kept her in the dark about the award until Friday.
``My son told me about it,'' she said, ``but I didn't know until today what it was all about. Today I got the full picture and got to meet Joe Smith. I read about him in the paper all the time; it was an honor to meet him.''
Jack Baker, coach at Maury for 19 years, also reflected on his former student.
``He's been back a number of times,'' Baker said. ``He's definitely the most successful basketball player I've had. And none of my students have ever done anything of this nature - coming back to award a scholarship - before.''
Smith lingered briefly after the ceremony, chatting with friends and former teachers. Despite a busy schedule, he agreed to a request to walk around the side of the school and speak to the cast and crew of a production company that just happened to be filming a movie there at the same time. Before leaving, he shared his thoughts about the event that had brought him back to Maury.
``It's great, you know,'' Smith said. ``It's something kids look up to, celebrity status. To present this to them, they'll remember. Things like this need to happen. People need to come back and help the kids as much as possible.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
Clarence Griffin is flanked by basketball star Joe Smith, his vision
teacher Gail Henrich, on his left and his mother, Lydia, on his
right.
by CNB